Artemis Fowl: The Goldlake Society
by LeanaLynx
Summary: Set before TOD. Holly finds out that there is a secret group of humans who know about fairies. She also temporarily loses her magic, so Trouble has to help her beat up some goblins. Sounds like fun! TxH
1. Running Late

Once upon a time, in a land not-so-far-away, an extremely loud and annoyingly cheerful alarm clock buzzed.

"Bzzzzz! Bzzzzz! Bzzzz!" It made a low pitched noise that was layered with higher overtones, rather like an opera singer whose well-trained voice is strained to the point of being in serious danger of cracking. As it rang, it vibrated slightly, similar to the alarm clocks in old-fashioned cartoons. This sort of behavior is not what one would expect from an average alarm clock, but it stubbornly refused to conform to modern society's standards, and went right on buzzing as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

After a few minutes of fruitlessly trying to ignore the drone of the determined clock, a hand (which was, miraculously, attached to an arm) reached out and banged the source of the noise on its head.

The alarm clock submissively stopped buzzing at once. It decided to sulk for a few minutes, but it quickly forgot all about the ungratefulness it got for doing its job properly. Alarm clocks, as everybody who is anybody should know, can never hold grudges for long.

The owner of the arm groaned. She poked her head out from under the blankets, and grabbed the dresser that the alarm clock was resting on. Using the steady surface for support, she dragged her exhausted body out of bed.

"Uhmf!" she muttered under her breath. "Stupid goblins."

That previous night, Captain Holly Short of the LEP had singlehandedly followed a goblin gang to their lair, snuck in through the back entrance, and placed all fourteen of the goblins under arrest. The only problem was that as she was heading back to the LEP headquarters, the rest of the gang had spotted her, and after a few moments of stunned silence, decided to teach a lesson to the elf that dared to mess with the Daerwicket gang. (Holly had a vague idea of what exactly "Daerwicket" meant, but knew better than to inquire further.) Holly had been forced to abandon half of the prisoners in order to escape with the remaining captives. It was past one o'clock in the morning when she finally got to the LEP headquarters, and did she get so much as a "Thank You"? No! That was gratitude for you.

And after all that, she still had to get to work bright and early to finish all the paper work for the seven goblin fugitives. Then she would have to track down the rest of the Daerwicket gang. At least that wouldn't be too hard. Goblins were not the brightest creatures, so their "lair" would probably be in the exact same spot it had been last night.

Holly frowned. The gang of goblins was causing too much trouble. They had been running a so-called "secret" operation for months. They smuggled dried prunes into Haven, and sold them for ridiculous prices. That seemed harmless enough, but the prunes were being purchased from a mud man, and it was rumored that the goblins allowed themselves to be seen in broad daylight. The mud man had been located and mind-wiped, but the goblins had to be prevented from making contact with him again. Foaly, the LEP's technical wizard, ran some tests and confirmed that the human had seen goblins, quite a few of them in fact. With things going like they were, it was only a matter of time before humans discovered the presence of fairies.

Still muttering, Holly pulled on her uniform, which had been carelessly thrown on the ground the night before. She then marched into a small bathroom that was situated right outside her bedroom. After glaring at her reflection in the mirror, Holly became lost in her own thoughts:

Aha! A brush! Yes… no dumping out the contents of my closet in search of a brush today! Oww! That hurt. Hair is singed from stupid goblins. Must get it trimmed soon. No time now. I shall wear hat. Wait… no hats allowed inside LEP. Ooooh, Scissors! Have always wanted to be hair stylist. Well, nothing to lose. Can't get much worse.

Snip. Snip. Snippidy snip.

Correction: CAN get much worse. Stupid hair. Stupid scissors. Stupid goblin. Never will be a hair stylist. Oh well. Will pretend that it is the latest style in Atlantis. Should fool them for a couple of days.

(End of Holly's thoughts)

Holly wondered what was wrong with her. A few months ago, she wouldn't have cared about her hair this much. She had always firmly believed that looks didn't matter as much as what was on the inside. Of course, she always tried to look presentable and clean, but not to the point of spending hours each day on her appearance. As an LEP captain, she didn't have any time to waste.

A voice popped up in Holly's mind. "It's not as if you're trying to impress anyone."

Another voice joined the first one, "Oh really? Come on don't try to deny it. You know as well as anyone that you ARE trying to impress somebody. A certain friend by the name of-"

"STOP!" The first voice yelled. "Don't you dare say it."

"Why not? You're in denial. I'm just helping you out."

"I don't need help, thank you very much."

"Whatever."

Meanwhile, Holly was in the middle of brushing her teeth, completely unaware of the battle going on subconsciously in her mind. When she decided that her mouth was clean enough, she spit out the leftover toothpaste and casually strolled into her apartment's kitchen. She was just grabbing her keys off the counter when she noticed the clock. Five minutes to get to work! Holly skidded across the dusty tiled floor of her apartment to the door. The keys were jammed into the door much harder than they needed to be. Hah! It would teach them a lesson! Okay, the door was unlocked, but it was stuck. Holly kicked it as hard as she could. The door didn't budge, and her foot was now throbbing painfully. It would heal eventually, but would make kicking doors a bit harder for the next few minutes. Sighing, Holly tried the doorknob one more time. The door swing open.

There would be time to punish the door later, so Holly had to content herself with giving it an evil glare before dashing off down the busy street. She pushed her way through a group of business fairies standing outside an office building. Running at top speed, she swerved to avoid an older fairy with a walker. She could see the LEP headquarters now. It loomed over the other buildings in the nearby areas.

Almost there… any second now… so close!

Holly reached the doors of the building. She was right on time. Slowing to a walk, the LEP captain ambled up the stairs. There was no need to let everybody know she had been running late. And literally running.

Holly had almost reached small office, drawing only minimal stares to her hairdo when she turned a corner and ran into the person she least wanted to see at the moment.

"Good morning Captain Short."

"Good morning Trouble. Why are you here? Don't you have something more important to be doing?"

"Well, I saw something very strange today. There was a crazy pedestrian racing through the street pushing everyone out of his or her way. But the strange thing was, he –or should I say she- was wearing an LEP uniform. Did you see anything like that on your way here? I am planning on finding whoever that was and arresting them for obstruction of peace. Many citizens could have been hurt by this careless act." Trouble smirked.

Holly stared at him, wondering if he was serious. He gave her a look of complete innocence.

When it was clear that she wasn't going to respond, he said, "So you didn't see anyone? That's too bad. Oh well, thanks anyway. You know, it's strange. The fairy looked almost like you. Maybe a long lost sister? "

All Holly could do was glare. Trouble seemed quite unaffected.

"Well, goodbye," he said, and started walking away. Once he was a good six feet away from her, he turned around briefly and said, "By the way, nice hair."

Holly searched for something to say, but couldn't think of anything. "It's the latest style in Atlantis," she lamely shouted after him.


	2. Life in the LEP

Holly was quietly humming to herself. After filling out a mountain of paperwork, she was feeling immensely proud of herself. Nobody could call Holly Short a slacker! Well, nobody whose opinion mattered at least…

Holly definitely thought she deserved a relaxing lunch break after her strangely productive day. She casually walked toward to lunch room. Hmm… maybe Trouble would be there. Or not. She really hoped that he had forgotten about this morning's encounter by now.

She was almost at the door. The moment of truth had arrived. Would he be there? Holly flung open the door and-

THAT JERK! What was he doing sitting with those two girls? They didn't even work here! Narrowing her eyes, Holly deliberately walked right in front of him to get to an empty table on the other side of the room. She decided that she wasn't hungry anymore. She would occupy her time by glaring at the girls, who were currently giggling at something Trouble said.

Well, he was always a bit of a flirt. Girls generally liked him, and he appreciated the attention. Holly had known him for years, and this had always been an annoyance to her. Oh, sure, he would talk to her, but as soon as somebody else came by, he would just leave! He didn't care! He would never care! She would never be good enough! He was just not –

"Holly! Do you mind if I sit here?"

Holly looked up. "Trouble?" He did care!

"The one and only."

Holly smiled. And she kept smiling. She studied his friendly eyes, and his long, straight nose. How could he be so perfect?

"Umm, are you okay? You look kind of… dazed."

Holly jumped slightly. "Oh, yes I'm fine, absolutely fine. Never been better,"

"So… can I sit down? Or do you want me to just stand here?" He was smirking, and Holly knew that he would sit next to her, no matter what she said.

She glanced at the empty table. "I don't know. It's already kind of crowded, and I have personal space issues."

He raised an eyebrow incredulously. "Personal space issues?"

"Yep."

"So if I do this…" He sat right next to Holly and draped a muscled arm around her shoulders, "Will you have a panic attack and run away screaming?"

Holly was about to come up with a witty reply, when she heard the door being thrown open, and the unmistakable sound of Foaly trotting into the room. Curiously, she turned around.

Foaly looked almost worried, if that was possible. He glanced around the room briefly before his eyes landed on Holly. "Captain Short! We need you. "

Holly muttered an apology to Trouble, and then she followed Foaly out of the room. As soon as they were out of anyone's earshot, Holly asked, "What's wrong? Is there a big, scary carrot monster under your bed?"

Foaly did not even roll his eyes. This was more serious than she had thought. Without looking at her, he said, "This is important, Holly. I'll tell you about it when we get to my office."

They briskly walked in silence the rest of the way. Holly was getting worried. Was somebody hurt? Or… dead?

Just when Holly thought she would die of suspense, they arrived at Foaly's office. Usually, Holly could spend hours looking at all the high-tech inventions in here. Today, she did not even notice her surroundings.

Foaly sat down, and immediately started talking. "Do you remember the goblins you captured last night? Well, one of them agreed to talk to us in exchange for his freedom. He was relatively young, and did not want to go to prison. "

Holly nodded to show that she was listening.

Leaning forward in his chair he continued, "He said that they were cooperating with mud men. Apparently there is a gang of about fifty goblins that trade dried prunes for fairy technology. Do you know what that means? The mud men have _proof_ that fairies exist."

Holly was shocked. What kind of fairy would willingly betray their whole race to the mud men? Hmf. A goblin obviously. A lousy, no-good, selfish, brain dead goblin. Ooh, when she got her hands on that goblin…

Foaly's voice brought her back to reality. "Holly, we need to do something. Our world is depending on it."

Holly grinned in spite of herself. "Well, aren't you the drama queen. I thought that was my job."

"No, you are just the annoying little elf who likes to act twice her size and never takes anything seriously."

Holly sighed. "Okay, maybe you're right. I'm sorry. What do you need me to do?"

"See if you can find out anything about the goblin gang. Check the place you found them yesterday. Even if they're not still there, they might have left something behind."

"Okay," Holly replied. "That shouldn't take long. I'll probably see you soon."

"Be careful. I'll alert the council and the commander. We need to take action immediately. And try not to let any of this to leak out to the citizens. There is no need to cause panic until after everything is under control."

As Holly walked out of the LEP headquarters, she was thinking about how much more paperwork she would have to do for this. Paperwork for saving the world. For some reason, this struck her as incredibly funny. She was chuckling under her breath as she walked into the street. She was so distracted that she didn't see the goblin sneaking up behind her.


	3. Goblin Trouble

Rmun the goblin did not like his job. Even with his limited brain capacity, he knew that it was madness to attempt to kidnap an armed LEP officer right outside LEP headquarters. But orders were orders, and Rmun did not doubt for one second that there would be serious consequences if he did not obey his boss. So had decided to do what little he could to protect himself from being recognized and traced back to his home. He covered his head with a makeshift black mask. Although he would still be easily identifiable by another goblin, the LEP officers would hopefully be unfamiliar enough with goblin anatomy to tell the difference between him and his great grandmother.

Rmun was waiting for a certain elf to come out of the building, as his employer had assured him would momentarily happen. Theoretically, he would just wait for the elf to have its back to him, stun it, and then drag it away. But things were never that easy with the LEP. In fact, the LEP would have to be completely blind and ineffective if they didn't have him behind bars within five minutes…

* * *

Holly had no idea that she was in danger. She efficiently walked down the step that separated the LEP HQ from the sidewalk. She didn't have her full LEP suit on because she wasn't going aboveground. Of course she had the standard earpiece and microphone so that she could stay in contact with Foaly, but he hadn't bothered taking the time to give her an iris cam.

She shoved her way through a crowd of civilians. A few of them protested, but they moved aside to let her pass. Then she felt an arm on her shoulder. She mentally sighed. Some fairies just had to "stand up for their civil rights" when they really should let her continue saving the world. She turned around, prepared to confront an indignant gnome, but only got a punch in the face for her trouble_. "Ha ha… Trouble…" _was her last thought before she blacked out.

* * *

When Holly woke up, she was aware of several things. First, she was tied up in a bag of some sort. Second, the bag was unmistakably in motion. Third, she had a minor headache, but nothing felt broken. And fourth, there was an annoying centaur jabbering in her ear.

"Holly? Holly, if you can hear me, please respond. What is wrong? Holly, I need a status report."

Holly grunted. "Oh. It's you."

Foaly couldn't hide a sigh of relief. "Well of course it's me! Who did you expect?"

"It's nice to know that you're as frustrating as ever. Otherwise I might be worried."

Foaly was quickly becoming irritated with his captive friend. "Maybe you _should_ be worried. You are being carried by a goblin to who-knows-where, and you are currently tied up in a bag. That sounds a lot more dangerous than catching butterflies, or whatever you do in your spare time."

Holly grinned, although nobody could see it. "Please," She whispered. "I'll be out of here before that goblin has time to figure out that I'm awake. And I don't catch butterflies. That's a cruel Mud man pastime."

"Point taken."

Holly brought her hands to her head to examine the ropes around her wrists. They would be easy enough to cut, but Holly realized that they were loose enough to slip off her wrists. Then she untied her feet. Summoning all of her strength, she slammed her fist into the inside of the bag. The thin material stretched, and then gave way, leaving an elf-sized hole for her to roll out of.

The goblin turned around in surprise, just in time for Holly's fist to connect with his nose.

"Payback," she hissed as the goblin fell backwards from the force of the blow. Unfortunately, due to the fact that goblins have incredibly thick skulls, he was not knocked unconscious. However, it would take a few seconds before his brain could process what had happened.

Holly stood over the confused goblin. "Hey Foaly! Did you hear that? That was the sound of sweet revenge."

"Okay, Captain. Now get out of there."

"What?" shouted Holly, "And let the goblin escape?"

"My dear, you need to learn that violence and revenge are not the keys to a happy and successful life," Foaly said patronizingly.

"Who said anything about violence and revenge? I'm talking about justice here," Holly retorted.

"Ah, but what is justice? Is there any justice in a world where vengeance is all that matters?"

"Okay, whatever cheesy motivational book you've been reading, just stop reading it. Now. For the sake of my sanity, I'm begging you."

"Fine, fine. I was just messing with you. Just put a tracker on the goblin and get back here. We need to have a team of warlocks check you. The usual procedure. We don't want any of our officers to be unknowingly hurt."

Holly came dangerously close to whining, but caught herself just in time. Commander Root would never let her hear the end of it. She slapped a tracker on the goblin's neck, and then started her trip back to Police Plaza.

During her moderately long walk (Foaly was giving her directions and kept getting her lost) Holly thought about her escape. It had all been too easy. Not even a goblin would expect that flimsy bag to contain her. And why would he kidnap her in the first place? It seemed like he had been surprised that his plan had even made it past the initial kidnapping stage. She could simply write it off as typical goblin stupidity, but even then the goblin had no reason to kidnap her. She decided to discuss it with Foaly or Trouble later on, but for now she just had to worry about her upcoming medical inspection. Holly Short had never told anyone, but she had an unexplainable fear of doctors. Even now that she was in her eighties, she still got nervous around them. Well, on the bright side, nobody had ever discovered her weakness, and she didn't intend to let them. Especially not Trouble…


	4. Doctors Really ARE Evil

Holly was sitting in the medical center of the LEP headquarters. In a few minutes, the warlocks would come over to inspect her. In the meantime, Holly was mentally preparing herself.

_Come on, girl. It's not that bad. You know that doctors will not hurt you. Just forget about this irrational fear. It's not as if some monstrously deformed doctor will come over here and try to jab you with a 6 inch long needle. It's all in your head. Your mind is playing tricks on you._

Holly was still sternly talking to herself when she heard someone clearing their throat behind her.

"Ahem. Ah, Captain Short?" The voice was gravelly and harsh, which did not comfort Holly one bit.

She slowly turned her head to face the doctor. What she saw surprised her. The doctor was tiny - at least two inches shorter than her. He was wearing a brightly checkered bowtie, and his expression was friendly.

Holly cleared her throat too. "Yes, I'm Captain Short. Who are you?"

The diminutive fairy extended his hand. "Dr. Ryland Eisner ma'am. I am just going to check you for injuries. It should only take a few minutes."

Holly mistrustfully shook his hand. He didn't _seem_ to be plotting anything against her, but his eyes looked shifty. She watched Dr. Eisner closely as he placed his hands on her forehead.

"This won't hurt at all," he assured her. "Just try to relax."

Holly almost snorted. Relax? Yeah, and swear toads would start helping old ladies cross streets.

Holly felt warmth spread through her body as Dr. Eisner probed her for injuries. So far everything seemed to be going well. That was the wrong thing for Holly to think; it's what everyone thinks before an unexpected disaster.

Just as Holly was starting to calm down a bit, Dr. Eisner's wrist communicator (an older model of one of Foaly's inventions) rang loudly.

The doctor jumped, and broke contact with Holly. Holly felt his magic being sucked out of her, and became suddenly dizzy. _This cannot be good,_ she thought numbly. She was no medical expert, but she was positively sure that this was _not_ supposed to happen. She held her breath, waiting to see what would occur next.

Her vision became hazy. She was aware of Dr. Eisner's voice, but could not tell what he was saying. There was a strange sensation inside her head. It felt as if a part of her was leaving.

Holly had studied magic, and she could pinpoint the part of her brain where magic was stored. And at this moment, that part of her felt like it was disintegrating._ No! I will not let this happen!_

Holly was a stubborn elf, and she was not going to just sit back and watch as all of her magic left her. She concentrated on keeping hold of the tiny spark that was still present. She mentally forced her remaining magic to stay where it was.

It was no easy task. Her focus was slipping as she slowly lost consciousness. With one last obstinate effort, Holly thrust the spark of magic back to where it was supposed to be.

Then she fainted.

* * *

"Is she going to be okay?" a frantic voice asked. "Well? Is she?"

Holly groaned and sat up. She had been lying on the floor. She looked around for whoever was talking. Turning her pounding head, she could see the back of somebody else's head. But she could recognize the back of his head anywhere. _Trouble._

Holly was somewhat amused to see that Trouble had Dr. Eisner in a stranglehold. The poor warlock was turning blue from lack of air._ Serves him right for being an evil, bloodthirsty doctor._ Even though Holly hated doctors, she had to feel bad for Dr. Eisner. In a feeble voice, she reluctantly said, "Stop."

Trouble immediately whipped around. Dr. Eisner slumped to the floor, but Trouble did not seem to notice. "Holly?"

The elf in question tried to smile reassuringly. "I'm fine," she lied, "but maybe you should check on the innocent civilian that you nearly suffocated."

Trouble couldn't decide whether to roll his eyes or hug Holly. He eventually settled for a mixture of both – he simultaneously looked up at the ceiling and patted Holly awkwardly on the back with one hand. He had no doubt that he looked idiotic, but he was too relieved to care.

Holly stared at Trouble. _Why is he patting my back? Does he think I'm choking? Should I pretend to cough so that he doesn't feel stupid when he realizes I'm not? And_ _WHY does he find the ceiling so interesting?_

Holly looked at the ceiling too. It didn't seem to be anything but an ordinary ceiling. _Wait- that crack looks like a bunny! I didn't know Trouble liked bunnies! Well, I know what I'm going to be for Halloween this year…_

When Trouble glanced at Holly again, he saw that she was rolling her eyes too. He was concerned to see that her face was pale and her eyes were bloodshot. She looked like she could pass out again at any moment. Trouble knew Holly would deny that anything was wrong with her, so he decided to ask Dr. Eisner for more details.

Trouble looked at the warlock. He was massaging his throat, but he seemed to be capable of talking. "What is wrong with Holly? What did you do to her?" He tried to appear as threatening as possible, hoping to scare Dr. Eisner into giving him an answer quickly.

Dr. Eisner gulped, looking up at the intimidating LEP officer standing over him. "Umm… you know, I don't think I'm qualified to diagnose this, err… unique case."

Trouble scowled. "You're a doctor, aren't you?"

"Well, I guess so. But this is my first day here. Actually, Captain Short was my first patient," explained Dr. Eisner, wringing his hands nervously.

Trouble stared at the warlock incredulously for about two seconds until the meaning of his words sunk in. "WHAT!? You mean that Holly –I mean Captain Short – was your guinea pig? Your test case?"

Ryland Eisner had never been particularly courageous. When faced with a difficult situation, all he could do was stammer. The only thing he knew was that he had to get away from Trouble Kelp, who looked like he was about to break something – and Ryland didn't want to be the first victim. He backed away slowly, and then started running as fast as he could, thinking that he needed a different career.

As he was running, he shouted, "I'll go get one of my superiors! They can answer your questions!"

Trouble glared at Dr. Eisner's retreating form, and then turned back to Holly. He was shocked to see that her eyes were closed and she was swaying back and forth. Just before she fell, he managed to grab her shoulders. She felt so weak! Although he wanted to keep her in his arms, he gently placed her back on the floor. The most important thing to do was to find a competent doctor…


	5. And the verdict is

The famous Dr. Argon only had to take one look at Holly before he immediately said, "Oh, yes. I've seen _this_ before."

Holly was a bit scared by the doctor's resigned expression. "What do you mean? Is this a common ailment?"

"No, no. It's not common, but it is unmistakable. The symptoms are very… unique."

Holly looked at Trouble, who was sitting in a plastic chair a few feet away. He seemed to be listening intently, although his eyes were closed. "What do you mean?"

Dr. Argon sighed. "You're not going to like it."

"Tell me," Holly ordered. "And hurry up about it before I get mad."

Trouble snorted. Even though Holly could barely lift herself off the hospital bed, she still went around threatening everyone who came near her. He noticed her glance toward him, and tried to look as innocent as possible. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of her anger.

Dr. Argon took a deep breath. "Well, when a trained warlock attempts to heal someone, his magic is sent into their system. The difference between this and a regular healing is that a warlock sends _all_ of his magic, not just the magic acquired from the ritual. That means that he is spiritually bound to the person he is healing, at least for a short time. His magic blends with theirs, and they temporarily become one being."

Holly shuddered. "That is creepy. I always knew I had a good reason to dislike doctors."

"Well, yes, I suppose it _does_ take some getting used to. Anyway, warlocks are trained to recognize their own magic, and to be able to draw it back into their bodies without disrupting the patient's magic. It's a complex procedure – most fairies have to practice for years to do it properly."

"So you're saying that this Dr. Eisner didn't practice for long enough before he tried it on me?" asked Holly.

"Basically, although there were several other factors," replied Dr. Argon.

"So what happened? Why did Dr. Eisner fail to properly withdraw his own magic?"

"My best guess is that a loud noise distracted him, causing him to break contact with you – the patient – and subsequently, he lost contact with both his magic and yours."

Holly thought back… she _did_ remember some sort of noise… "The communicator!"

Dr. Argon and Trouble looked toward her questioningly.

"It _must_ have been the communicator. I heard it ringing right before I passed out," Holly explained.

Dr. Argon frowned. "One of the first things we teach our students is to turn off all distracting electronic devices before seeing a patient."

Trouble was staring at the floor again. Suddenly, he looked up. "I tried to call Dr. Eisner on his communicator. I heard that Holly was injured, so I thought I would check in on her. When he didn't answer, I went to the medical center to make sure everything was okay. That's when I found Holly on the floor. D'Arvit! This is all my fault. Holly, I'm so, so sorry."

Holly was torn between being touched that he would worry about her and angry that he thought she couldn't take care of herself. Her indecisiveness was solved by one look into his sincere eyes. "I forgive you. It wasn't your fault." She smiled slightly. "But, for future reference, you do _not_ need to treat me like I'm only thirty years old. I am a responsible adult, just like you. Anyway, there was no harm done. I'm sure Dr. Argon will be able to heal me soon."

They both looked at Dr. Argon, who was chewing on his fingernails nervously. He avoided Holly looking straight in the eye. "Actually, I can't," he told her apologetically. "When Dr, Eisner broke contact with you, his magic stayed. However, the pull between a warlock and his magic is strong. Dr. Eisner's magic transferred back to him, but unfortunately, it was still attached to your magic. So, simply put, your magic was drawn out of you." He unhappily shifted from one foot to the other. "I'm sorry, but you have lost your magic."

Holly was afraid to ask, but she made herself do it. "P-p-permanently?"

"Yes."

Holly couldn't believe it. Her magic was gone. This would mean that she would never be able to work at the LEP again. Nobody without magic was allowed to be a LEPrecon officer. Her life was over…

But wait! She still had magic. Maybe not much, but she was sure that she had not let _all_ of it escape. She clearly remembered holding on to that one last bit of her magic. "Dr. Argon! I _know_ I still have magic. Not all of it left – I held on to it!"

"I'm afraid that is impossible." Dr. Argon shook his head sadly. He often had to reason with patients who were in denial.

But Holly persisted. "I know that it sounds crazy, but it's true. Isn't there something you can do to verify this? You're a doctor! Can't you scan me for magic or something?"

"It will not do any good," replied Dr. Argon. "But I'm sure there are many other things you can do with your life that _don't_ require magic," he added, comfortingly.

Holly was _not_ in the mood to be arguing with a know-it-all doctor. She glared at him as menacingly as she could and said just one word. "NOW."

Dr. Argon seemed to jump about two feet up into the air. He squeaked in terror, and immediately started apologizing. "I- I- I'm sorry. I didn't know you felt so... strongly about it... I'll - umm - of course I'll do whatever makes you feel better."

Holly smiled sweetly, which somehow made her look even more dangerous. "I knew you would agree with me. Now would you mind getting this over with? I don't want to waste any more of my time in the _hospital_." She made it sound like a curse word.

Dr. Argon silently nodded and nervously approached Holly. He placed his hands on her forehead. "This will not take any longer than half a minute. Don't interrupt me, please. I don't want to damage you even more."

Holly did not like being referred to as "damaged", but she refrained from commenting on it. She closed her eyes and sighed quietly. _Why do these things always happen to me? My life does not need any more complications. In fact, the LEP **is **my life. I can't lose it now. Oh, please, please, please let me be right about not losing my magic._

She could feel Dr. Argon probing her for any traces of magic. It was taking too long. He should have been done by now. Holly could not breathe. She was so afraid. Suddenly, she felt somebody squeeze her hand. Without opening her eyes, she knew who it was.

She knew that he would support her no matter what happened.


	6. The Evil Plan of Holly Short

_**Hi, I'm alive. Really. Okay, so I really thought I was going to give up on both of the two stories I'm writing on here. But I got bored, re-read them, and decided I needed to know what happens next. Actually, I've got the other one basically planned out. But this one is very random. I just write whatever I feel like and surprise myself. So I wrote this chapter. Sorry if it isn't as funny, but I thougt I needed to actually have a plot if I'm ever going to finish this. So yeah. Hopefully I will write another chapter soon.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Dr. Argon's face was inscrutable. It was driving Holly crazy. She just couldn't tell if he was having any luck. She _knew_ she still had her magic. It was the one thing she believed in with every fiber of her being.

The doctor was _still_ examining her, and it had been at least a minute. Despite herself, Holly had to admit that she was worried. What if she did have her magic, but not enough to make a difference? She sighed, glad to have Trouble with her, but also wishing he didn't have to see her in a weak moment. If there was one thing Holly usually wasn't, it was weak.

By the time Holly was practically shaking with fear, Dr. Argon removed his hands from her forehead. He looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry, but-"

"NO!" Holly interrupted. "You're wrong! Did you search everywhere?"

The doctor nodded, and tried to speak again, "Holly-"

"Are you sure? Everywhere?"

Trouble squeezed her hand. "Holly it's going to be okay."

Holly's eyes were starting to get teary.

Desperately, Trouble searched for something comforting to say. Anything to stop the crying! "Ummm… Holly… ummm… you could always be a … plumber?"

Holly tore her hand out of his. "A PLUMBER???" she shrieked. "Who do you think I am?"

Dr. Argon laid a placating hand on his patient's shoulder. "If you two would allow me to interrupt for a minute-"

"No, you can't interrupt, you bloodthirsty _doctor_!" Holly brushed his hand off like it was a distasteful worm.

Trouble was able to stop mentally kicking himself for long enough to blurt out, "Holly, I think you'd be a very pretty plumber!"

At that, Holly completely lost it, even if he _was_ her favorite coworker. "It's CAPTAIN SHORT to YOU! How dare you! You've always had it EASY. You don't know what it's like to have all these sexist jerk-faces up against you! And YOU SMELL LIKE PICKLES!"

Trouble was almost speechless. But he would never learn to keep his mouth shut. He feebly muttered, "I happen to like pickles."

Holly sneered, which unfortunately only made her look comical. "Well, I hate pickles. And I hate the smell of them!"

Once more, Dr. Argon tried to speak up, pompously stating, "Captain Short, I have some pertinent information that I do believe I am obligated to share with-"

Holly responded, "And as for you, I have some things I've been wanting to share _with you _for a long time! You can go tell you doctor friends that they are nothing but pretentious, brutal, vindictive, masochistic, AND-"

Dr. Argon took a deep breath and shouted, "HOLLY, YOU WERE RIGHT!!! YOU STILL POSSESS A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF MAGIC!!! IF YOU WOULD JUST LISTEN TO ME FOR ONE SECOND I WOULD BE MORE THAN WILLING TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT."

Holly paused in her tirade. "What did you just say?"

Dr. Argon said exasperatedly, "You were right. You have a tiny bit of magic left."

"I KNEW IT! And who says I should stop trusting my instincts?" Holly triumphantly said. She was tempted to start dancing on the examination table, but restrained herself for Dr. Argon's sake.

Trouble did not appear to be understanding anything that was going on. He intelligently questioned, "Wait… what?"

The doctor took a deep, fortifying breath and explained, "I honestly don't know what happened. All I can tell you is that the case isn't as severe as I thought. There _have_ been a few patients able to recover from this type of disorder. Of course, they were all highly-trained warlocks, not _officers_."

"I took advanced courses in magic," Holly indignantly huffed.

Dr. Argon ignored this latest interruption for the sake of his mental well-being. He already got a big enough bill from his psychiatrist as it was. "So ANYWAY, I believe that your magical essence has been greatly depleted, but not to the point that would make recovery impossible."

Holly grinned widely, "So I guess I won't have to be a plumber after all, hey Trouble?"

Trouble turned bright red. "Oh, I guess not... that is... not that I don't think you'd be a good plumber, but... never mind."

Turning back to the doctor, Holly asked, "So how long will this whole 'recovery' process take?"

Dr. Argon pursed his lips, pretending to look thoughtful. "As I said, we never had a case like this before, but I would guess it would be at least a few weeks."

"A few _weeks?_ But I have to track down goblins, and fill out paperwork, and erase memories, and fill out paperwork, and protect citizens and fill out paperwork and..." Holly trailed off, thinking of how Commander Root would react when he heard what mess she had gotten herself into this time. "What if I lose my job?"

Dr. Argon shook his head resolutely. "I'm sorry, but there is no way to rush the natural healing process."

Holly thought about the possible consequences of requesting so much time off. "I can't do it. I refuse to give up everything I've worked so hard for." Her face took on a thoughtful look, and then suddenly lit up with understanding.

Trouble did not like where this was going. He knew her well enough to recognize her I-just-got-a-brilliant-but-suicudal-idea look. "Holly, what are you planning?"

"How well can the two of you keep a secret?"

* * *

Although Commander Root would never admit it, he liked the only female captain on the force. She was a loyal elf whose heart was in the right place, but she needed to learn how to follow directions. He had just gotten a call from her. She had requested to see him, and he was not expecting a friendly chat. The last time she had voluntarily visited him, she had gotten on her knees, pouted, and begged him not to hurt her for accidentally catching all the potted plants in the building on fire. He never did figure out how she had managed that one...

There was a timid knock on the door.

"Come in," the Commander boomed, trying to sound as terror-inspiring as possible.

Captain Short opened the door and glanced to either side of her, as if looking for enemies hidden in the office.

Root sighed. Maybe she was finally going crazy. "I assure you, this is probably the safest place in Haven. Now come in!" He was pleased to see her flinch slightly.

Holly stepped up to his desk, trying to look brave.

"And close the door behind you!" Root shouted. She appeared to be even more nervous than he had expected if she had forgotten a simple thing like closing a door. He decided to get straight to the point of this visit. "What did you do?"

"What?" Holly innocently asked. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't be stupid," the Commander snapped. "I know you did something. I was already informed about the goblin incident, and I must say you are the most incompetent officer I have ever seen to get captured by a brainless goblin. Luckily for you, I have decided not to fire you for that. Now if there is something else you would like to share with me, kindly get _on with it_!"

Holly nodded. "Yes, sir. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about being the most incompetent officer you have ever seen."

Root smiled, pleased that he had gotten through to her.

Holly was in shock. Did Commander Root seriously just smile? That was _not_ normal. Apparently he liked it when his victims had low self esteem. She decided to keep talking while he was in a good mood. "And there is also one more thing..."

The smile faded from the Commander's face. "What?"

Holly swallowed nervously. "Umm... well, actually, I was wondering if I could suggest a new and innovative way to stop this goblin issue."

"Go on," Root said imperiously.

"Well," Holly continued, "When there is a threat as big as this, we usually send out a whole team of LEP officers. But since we're trying to keep this a secret, I thought maybe we could send a smaller team. That way we could actually be much more effective."

"How small?"

Holly winced. She had been hoping to postpone the actual number until she had him on her side. "Well, I was thinking about two fairies would be sufficient. More specifically, you could just send Major Kelp and myself."

"WHAT?" the Commander yelled. "Why would you want to risk your life and the life of another fairy? I do not understand you, Captain. And why are you assuming that I'll even want you on this important mission?"

Holly was ready with an answer. "I know you, Commander. You always send someone on each mission that has experience with whatever - or whoever - is causing the problem. Usually that expert would be Foaly. And I also know that I am the current expert on the Daerwicket gang because I have had dealings with them before. You were already planning on sending me on this mission. All I want to do is make this as safe as possible for us and for the innocent civilians out there."

Commander Root sighed. She was right. It was vital for the Captain to be on this mission. "I suppose Major Kelp is in on this crazy plan too?"

Holly nodded again. "I already talked to him, sir. In order for mission be successful, it is important to send the best of the best. That means Major Kelp would be my first choice, if I were you."

Root shook his head. There seemed to be no way to dissuade her. "It's ridiculous, but this is a desperate situation." He paused, thinking of all the things that could go wrong.

"Did anything else happen while I was being treated by Dr. Argon?" Holly asked. She was concerned by the Commander's tone.

"Yes, something did. I might as well tell you, but I don't want you sharing this information with anyone but Major Kelp."

"Yes, sir," Holly said obediently.

"I received a message from the Daerwicket gang about an hour ago. Here, I barely managed to restrain myself from tearing it up. Read it." He handed her a piece of paper.

**_Commander Root-_**

**_The Daerwicket gang is holding your employees captive. If you want them to survive, do not try to stop us._**

Holly read the note, and looked back up at Commander Root.

He handed her a stack of pictures. "Here, these came with the note."

The top picture was of Lily Frond. Holly glanced at the Commander and raised her eyebrows. He motioned for her to keep looking. Holly looked at the next picture. To her surprise, it was her own picture. The last one was of Grub Kelp.

"Lily Frond was just in my office. She reported an attempted kidnapping. Apparently, a goblin tried to drag her off while she was on lunch break. She fought it off with her high-heeled shoe," Root informed Holly. "However, Corporal Kelp has been missing for about four hours."

Holly gasped. "Oh, no. Poor Trouble..."

To say that Root was annoyed by the interruption would be an understatement. "Shut Up! Are you going to listen to me, or are you going to get out of my office?"

Holly shut up.

"That's what I thought," said Root. "Now, this note means that stealth is vital. That doesn't mean I like your plan, but I can't come up with any other objections. However, I won't let you go in there recklessly."

"Oh, we won't be reckless, sir."

"I know you, Captain. Don't contradict me," Root commanded. "I want you to have all the latest technology, and I want a thorough report every hour. If you do not have any success, or if either of you two is put in danger, I am cancelling the mission."

"Yes, sir."

"Now, I want you and Major Kelp to go pay a visit to that fool of a centaur."

"Yes, sir."

"NOW!"

"Yes, sir."

"And... I know it might be a lot to ask from you, but... be careful."

"Yes, sir."

"DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO SHUT UP?"

"Yes, sir."

Holly left the office, forgetting to close the door behind her.

* * *

Trouble was waiting right outside the office. When Holly came out, he looked at her questioningly. "Well?"

Holly smiled. "He agreed. So now I can keep my job, you can keep my secret, and we can save the world. But this is much more serious than we thought. Your brother was kidnapped."

Trouble's eyes widened in fear. "Oh no! What will Mommy say?"


End file.
